Bounds first ex-Player to coach Mudcats
Team’s career leader in wins to lead 2018 club
By PAUL STURM, C-T Sports Editor
In a first for the organization in its 17 years of existence, a former Chillicothe Mudcats player will be the team’s head coach next summer, it was publicly announced today.
Caleb Bounds, the Savannah High School graduate and former North Central Missouri College pitcher whose four wins in each of his three summers with the team from 2014-16 make him the Mudcats’ career leader in winning decisions with 12, has been hired by the team’s board of directors to build and lead the 2018 squad.
“Caleb will be a familiar face to Mudcats fans, sponsors, host families, and the MINK League,” Doug Doughty, team general manager, said in announcing the hiring.
“He had an outstanding work ethic as a player and (team) off-field intern and I’m certain that is carrying over into his coaching career. He comes highly recommended by the Columbia College coaching staff and his former coaches.”
A fellow assistant at Columbia College is Craig McAndrews, head coach of MINK League member Sedalia the past couple of years. Sedalia won the 2016 league crown.
“I think it will be a great opportunity for me,” commented Bounds, an assistant coach at Columbia College, in a phone interview with the C-T Tuesday night.
“I really did like the environment” in Chillicothe during his playing career with the Fish. “They were always very supportive of me and the Mudcats in general. … It just seems to me like a great community.”
Bounds, still waiting to get a decision from his preferred choice for an assistant, will succeed Jack Winters, the New Jersey college assistant coach who led the 2017 Fish to a very fast start, but eventually only a 24-22 final record, including – for the first time in team history – a last-place finish in the MINK League’s North Division with a 19-22 mark.
“Jack and (his assistant) Ken Durling are pursuing several coaching opportunities and are unsure about their summer coaching availability” for summer 2018, Doughty relates.
“We thank Jack and Ken for producing another winning season for the Mudcats plus bringing an outstanding group of collegiate players from across the country to Chillicothe and the MINK League this past summer.”
As Winters’ was, Bounds’ college playing experience was as a pitcher. The new head coach says his initial preference for an assistant also has a pitching background, but doesn’t foresee that as a problem, in terms of working with the position players on their hitting and defense.
“We both work with pitchers and hitters at our colleges,” Bounds reflects. “We both feel comfortable with pitchers, but, at the same time, we don’t feel we lack any knowledge or anything with hitters. I’ve worked with our hitters for the last year now at Columbia College.”
“… I’m not too worried about it.”
In a counterintuitive way, he muses, his experience as a pitcher can be an asset in helping hitters identify and work on weaknesses.
“I think it’s kinda funny that you have (former) pitchers that are sometimes pretty good hitting coaches just because they’re used to finding out where hitters’ weak spots are,” he says.
In terms of team roster-building and game-strategy philosophy, Bounds shared with the C-T, “Pitching is the No. 1 thing you have to find.”
“…It just seemed like there were a lot of runs scored (in league games) this past summer, which hasn’t always been the case. Even three years ago, when I was just starting to play (with the Mudcats), it seemed like we had a lot more close (low-scoring) games.”
As for his and Doughty’s non-pitching preferences for the Mudcats, he says, “At Shaffer Park (the Mudcats’ home stadium), you know it plays ‘big,’ so you’re always looking for some speed
“At the same time, it always seem like people say Chillicothe has to be a ‘small ball’ team – you have to hit-and-run, you have to have a lot of speed, bunt, and things like that. We’re going to see if we can get away from that.
“I’m going to try to recruit to where we actually have a little more ‘thump’ next year. That’s the goal. … We’re hoping to have two or three big-time hitters that (opposing) teams are like, ‘Oh, man, this guy’s coming up (third) this inning,’” he continues.
“… That’s the plan, to have some speed for the outfield, but to have a little more pop than we’re used to having, to get a few guys with some good home run and double totals.”
The first step in the recruiting process, he disclosed, is determining which, if any, 2017 Mudcats return.
He indicated he and Doughty have identified and extended invitations to about a half-dozen to come back in ’18. Once it is known which ones accept the offer, the recruitment of newcomers will begin, both with those universities and colleges and their coaches who have “placed” players in Chillicothe previously and new contacts Bounds has.
“We feel like we have a really good understanding of what we want, what we’re looking for,” the coach says of the team’s management.
Doughty has indicated there will be outreach to several players with local or regional ties to have them be part of the 2018 playing roster.
The 2018 season will be the Mudcats’ 17th. The team has never experienced a losing season.
--
Paul Sturm
Sports Editor
Constitution-Tribune
Chillicothe
Team’s career leader in wins to lead 2018 club
By PAUL STURM, C-T Sports Editor
In a first for the organization in its 17 years of existence, a former Chillicothe Mudcats player will be the team’s head coach next summer, it was publicly announced today.
Caleb Bounds, the Savannah High School graduate and former North Central Missouri College pitcher whose four wins in each of his three summers with the team from 2014-16 make him the Mudcats’ career leader in winning decisions with 12, has been hired by the team’s board of directors to build and lead the 2018 squad.
“Caleb will be a familiar face to Mudcats fans, sponsors, host families, and the MINK League,” Doug Doughty, team general manager, said in announcing the hiring.
“He had an outstanding work ethic as a player and (team) off-field intern and I’m certain that is carrying over into his coaching career. He comes highly recommended by the Columbia College coaching staff and his former coaches.”
A fellow assistant at Columbia College is Craig McAndrews, head coach of MINK League member Sedalia the past couple of years. Sedalia won the 2016 league crown.
“I think it will be a great opportunity for me,” commented Bounds, an assistant coach at Columbia College, in a phone interview with the C-T Tuesday night.
“I really did like the environment” in Chillicothe during his playing career with the Fish. “They were always very supportive of me and the Mudcats in general. … It just seems to me like a great community.”
Bounds, still waiting to get a decision from his preferred choice for an assistant, will succeed Jack Winters, the New Jersey college assistant coach who led the 2017 Fish to a very fast start, but eventually only a 24-22 final record, including – for the first time in team history – a last-place finish in the MINK League’s North Division with a 19-22 mark.
“Jack and (his assistant) Ken Durling are pursuing several coaching opportunities and are unsure about their summer coaching availability” for summer 2018, Doughty relates.
“We thank Jack and Ken for producing another winning season for the Mudcats plus bringing an outstanding group of collegiate players from across the country to Chillicothe and the MINK League this past summer.”
As Winters’ was, Bounds’ college playing experience was as a pitcher. The new head coach says his initial preference for an assistant also has a pitching background, but doesn’t foresee that as a problem, in terms of working with the position players on their hitting and defense.
“We both work with pitchers and hitters at our colleges,” Bounds reflects. “We both feel comfortable with pitchers, but, at the same time, we don’t feel we lack any knowledge or anything with hitters. I’ve worked with our hitters for the last year now at Columbia College.”
“… I’m not too worried about it.”
In a counterintuitive way, he muses, his experience as a pitcher can be an asset in helping hitters identify and work on weaknesses.
“I think it’s kinda funny that you have (former) pitchers that are sometimes pretty good hitting coaches just because they’re used to finding out where hitters’ weak spots are,” he says.
In terms of team roster-building and game-strategy philosophy, Bounds shared with the C-T, “Pitching is the No. 1 thing you have to find.”
“…It just seemed like there were a lot of runs scored (in league games) this past summer, which hasn’t always been the case. Even three years ago, when I was just starting to play (with the Mudcats), it seemed like we had a lot more close (low-scoring) games.”
As for his and Doughty’s non-pitching preferences for the Mudcats, he says, “At Shaffer Park (the Mudcats’ home stadium), you know it plays ‘big,’ so you’re always looking for some speed
“At the same time, it always seem like people say Chillicothe has to be a ‘small ball’ team – you have to hit-and-run, you have to have a lot of speed, bunt, and things like that. We’re going to see if we can get away from that.
“I’m going to try to recruit to where we actually have a little more ‘thump’ next year. That’s the goal. … We’re hoping to have two or three big-time hitters that (opposing) teams are like, ‘Oh, man, this guy’s coming up (third) this inning,’” he continues.
“… That’s the plan, to have some speed for the outfield, but to have a little more pop than we’re used to having, to get a few guys with some good home run and double totals.”
The first step in the recruiting process, he disclosed, is determining which, if any, 2017 Mudcats return.
He indicated he and Doughty have identified and extended invitations to about a half-dozen to come back in ’18. Once it is known which ones accept the offer, the recruitment of newcomers will begin, both with those universities and colleges and their coaches who have “placed” players in Chillicothe previously and new contacts Bounds has.
“We feel like we have a really good understanding of what we want, what we’re looking for,” the coach says of the team’s management.
Doughty has indicated there will be outreach to several players with local or regional ties to have them be part of the 2018 playing roster.
The 2018 season will be the Mudcats’ 17th. The team has never experienced a losing season.
--
Paul Sturm
Sports Editor
Constitution-Tribune
Chillicothe
Todd Czinege named first team All Big East
Todd Czinege was named All Big East this past season. Todd, a former Mudcat, is seen here throwing out the first pitch at opening night of the Mudcat season.
Click on the link to read about Todd and his year at Villanova.
http://www.villanova.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/052516aaa.html
Click on the link to read about Todd and his year at Villanova.
http://www.villanova.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/052516aaa.html
Caleb Joseph second ex-Mudcat in majors
By PAUL STURM, Constitution-Tribune Sports Editor
After waiting 12 years from their inception to have its first former member appear in a Major League Baseball game, the Chillicothe Mudcats on May 7, 2014, got their second alumnus to the big leagues in two months.
Catcher Caleb Joseph, the local, college-level, summer club’s primary receiver in the club's MINK League title-winning 2006 season after appearing in 18 games the season before, had his contract purchased by the Orioles from their Triple-A farm club at Norfolk, Va.
He immediately made his MLB debut as Baltimore's starting catcher May 8 at Tampa Bay. He caught the entire game, which the Orioles won 4-3, while going hitless in three at-bats with two groundouts to third and a fly out to right field. He went 0 for four while starting the next night, as well, another game won by Baltimore.
Joseph could be considered the first "true" ex-Mudcat to play in the majors.
Pitcher Mike Mariot, called up to the Kansas City Royals in mid-April, played with the Mudcats only in two postseason games following the 2009 regular season. He had spent the regular summer season that year with the now-defunct Beatrice (Neb.) Bruins. Mariot never appeared in a game in Chillicothe as a Mudcat, although he did play here with the Nebraska team.
Joseph, on the other hand, spent two summers in Chillicothe, hosted both years by John and Julie Barnes.
The Franklin, Tenn., product, who attended Lipscomb University in his home state, actually was just out of high school in his first year with the Mudcats in 2005.
Sharing time behind the dish with two other, older catchers, Joseph batted a respectable .289 in 45 at-bats and threw out four of 10 would-be opposing base stealers, a strong statistic.
Returning the next season as the team’s top receiver, he again hit decently with the wood bat – a .280 batting average with 14 runs batted in in 34 games and, showing growing strength, eight extra-base hits
His play helped the Mudcats win the league crown for the first time, qualifying them for their first National Baseball Congress World Series tournament appearance. Two losses in that event left the club, led by Keith Vorhoff, with a 27-13 final record, still the team’s best ever mark.
Defensively, Joseph remained solid in ’06, gunning down 13 of 33 would-be base thieves while helping guide the pitching staff to a solid 3.55 composite earned run average.
After playing parts of seven seasons in the Orioles' system after being a seventh-round draft choice by the organization in 2007, Joseph seemingly had stalled out in his pro career a couple of years ago.
However, a resurgent season at Double-A Bowie last season, when he hit .299 with some extra-base pop, and a good stretch in winter ball in the Venezuelan League last winter, paid off yesterday when he was Baltimore's choice to fill the void behind the plate created when a shoulder injury to Orioles starting catcher Matt Wieters left Wieters not well enough to catch.
Seeking a reliable defensive receiver with some veteran savvy, even if at the minor league level, Baltimore turned to Joseph, who had been to spring training with them as a "depth" catcher the past few years.
“He’s kind of been a steady climber,” highly-respected Orioles manager “Buck” Showalter told The Baltimore Sun in an article posted on that paper’s website late last night. “He really wants this. A lot of guys, this gets tough to keep grinding through and improving. … Caleb has gotten better and better and better.
“The one common thing, pitchers really like throwing to him. [He is] very engaged in the game. I think he’ll be a quick study with advanced reports.”
Ironically, Joseph's recall to the Orioles comes only a week before Baltimore is scheduled to visit Kansas City for a 4-game series, starting Thursday, May 15.
Although it is possible either could be sent back to the minors before then, particularly depending on how Wieters' shoulder responds to being off from catching for a few days, that series could find both ex-Mudcats players in the same big league ballpark and potentially facing each other in a major league game.
--
Paul Sturm
Sports Editor
Constitution-Tribune
After waiting 12 years from their inception to have its first former member appear in a Major League Baseball game, the Chillicothe Mudcats on May 7, 2014, got their second alumnus to the big leagues in two months.
Catcher Caleb Joseph, the local, college-level, summer club’s primary receiver in the club's MINK League title-winning 2006 season after appearing in 18 games the season before, had his contract purchased by the Orioles from their Triple-A farm club at Norfolk, Va.
He immediately made his MLB debut as Baltimore's starting catcher May 8 at Tampa Bay. He caught the entire game, which the Orioles won 4-3, while going hitless in three at-bats with two groundouts to third and a fly out to right field. He went 0 for four while starting the next night, as well, another game won by Baltimore.
Joseph could be considered the first "true" ex-Mudcat to play in the majors.
Pitcher Mike Mariot, called up to the Kansas City Royals in mid-April, played with the Mudcats only in two postseason games following the 2009 regular season. He had spent the regular summer season that year with the now-defunct Beatrice (Neb.) Bruins. Mariot never appeared in a game in Chillicothe as a Mudcat, although he did play here with the Nebraska team.
Joseph, on the other hand, spent two summers in Chillicothe, hosted both years by John and Julie Barnes.
The Franklin, Tenn., product, who attended Lipscomb University in his home state, actually was just out of high school in his first year with the Mudcats in 2005.
Sharing time behind the dish with two other, older catchers, Joseph batted a respectable .289 in 45 at-bats and threw out four of 10 would-be opposing base stealers, a strong statistic.
Returning the next season as the team’s top receiver, he again hit decently with the wood bat – a .280 batting average with 14 runs batted in in 34 games and, showing growing strength, eight extra-base hits
His play helped the Mudcats win the league crown for the first time, qualifying them for their first National Baseball Congress World Series tournament appearance. Two losses in that event left the club, led by Keith Vorhoff, with a 27-13 final record, still the team’s best ever mark.
Defensively, Joseph remained solid in ’06, gunning down 13 of 33 would-be base thieves while helping guide the pitching staff to a solid 3.55 composite earned run average.
After playing parts of seven seasons in the Orioles' system after being a seventh-round draft choice by the organization in 2007, Joseph seemingly had stalled out in his pro career a couple of years ago.
However, a resurgent season at Double-A Bowie last season, when he hit .299 with some extra-base pop, and a good stretch in winter ball in the Venezuelan League last winter, paid off yesterday when he was Baltimore's choice to fill the void behind the plate created when a shoulder injury to Orioles starting catcher Matt Wieters left Wieters not well enough to catch.
Seeking a reliable defensive receiver with some veteran savvy, even if at the minor league level, Baltimore turned to Joseph, who had been to spring training with them as a "depth" catcher the past few years.
“He’s kind of been a steady climber,” highly-respected Orioles manager “Buck” Showalter told The Baltimore Sun in an article posted on that paper’s website late last night. “He really wants this. A lot of guys, this gets tough to keep grinding through and improving. … Caleb has gotten better and better and better.
“The one common thing, pitchers really like throwing to him. [He is] very engaged in the game. I think he’ll be a quick study with advanced reports.”
Ironically, Joseph's recall to the Orioles comes only a week before Baltimore is scheduled to visit Kansas City for a 4-game series, starting Thursday, May 15.
Although it is possible either could be sent back to the minors before then, particularly depending on how Wieters' shoulder responds to being off from catching for a few days, that series could find both ex-Mudcats players in the same big league ballpark and potentially facing each other in a major league game.
--
Paul Sturm
Sports Editor
Constitution-Tribune